The NBA landscape is buzzing with the arrival of free agency. Even though the negotiation period doesn't up until 6 p.m. ET on Monday, the ball started rolling on Sunday as it marked the deadline for teams and players to decide on their respective contract options, leading to several notable names being sent to the open market.
One of the bigger names sent to free agency over the weekend is Deandre Ayton, albeit via buyout. The Portland Trail Blazers finalized the seven-year veteran's buyout on Sunday, making him a freshly available frontcourt option for center-needy teams to target.
After trading Kristaps Porzingis to the Atlanta Hawks earlier this month, some Celtics fans quickly viewed the newly released Ayton as a potential target. Although the 26-year-old could thrive playing under head coach Joe Mazzulla, MassLive's Brian Robb is reporting that Boston isn't interested in the ex-Arizona product's services.
Interestingly enough, the lack of interest likely means good news for two top Boston free agents.
"The Celtics are not expected to have interest in Ayton per sources at this point with their priority being retaining their own free agent centers," Robb wrote.
New: DeAndre Ayton is a surprise new addition to the free agent market this summer. Will there be any domino effect on Al Horford, Luke Kornet and the Celtics options at center? https://t.co/jVUePpcjhH
— Brian Robb (@BrianTRobb) June 30, 2025
Celtics' Odds of Re-Signing Luke Kornet Improve After Passing on Deandre Ayton
The Celtics' lack of interest in Ayton potentially telegraphs their interest in re-signing free agent center Luke Kornet. The veteran rebounder has become a Boston fan favorite throughout his tenure, and the fan base would love nothing more than to see him brought back.
An eight-year NBA veteran, Kornet first played 18 games for the Celtics in 2021 before returning to town as a free agent in February 2022. He's gone on to play 217 regular-season games and 41 postseason outings since returning to Boston, which included seeing a bigger role than before last season.
Kornet played a career-high 18.6 minutes per game across his personal-best 73 appearances in 2024-25. He averaged 6.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.0 steals per game while shooting 66.8% from the field before putting up another 4.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, and an NBA-best 72.4 FG% in the playoffs.
While Kornet might not possess the offensive upside of Ayton, the former Vanderbilt big man is someone whom Mazzulla & Co. are familiar with. He's well respected throughout Boston's locker room, and replacing him with another name could damage the chemistry that the Celtics worked so hard to create.
Between losing Tatum to an Achilles tear and trading away Porzingis and Jrue Holiday, the last few months have been rough for Celtics fans. Re-signing Kornet, while not the sexiest move, would at least help boost fans' spirits before the offseason continues.